


Scars We Bear

by Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind



Series: Two Pieces of The Whole [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Not Beta Read, sharing stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 19:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5639164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind/pseuds/Eternal_Garbage_of_a_Spotless_Mind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor is curious to the origin of Cullen's scar. He agrees to tell but only if she, in turn, shares her story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scars We Bear

"Check." lazy grin illuminated Cullen's face as he eyed the Inqusitor on the other side of the board, elbows on the table and her chin resting on top of her palms as she observed their game. 

Cullen took no prisoners when it came to chess and the smug expression on his face drove a significant amount of people away. Not the Inquisitor, though. She had won many times but had lost just as much and yet kept coming back. They both knew why, even if it had never been said out loud. More often then not their games of chess tended to end quite _unexpectedly_. The Inquisitor rested back in her chair and gracefully crossed her legs, Cullen's gaze involuntarily sliding over her voluptuous hip, accentuated by the tight pants she was wearing.

"Commander, tell me something," she smiled and her eyes lit up with mischief. "That scar of yours, where did you get it?"

Cullen's back stiffened and he involuntarily touched the right side of his lip - leather of his gloves slightly rough on the skin.

"Inquisitor, why -"

"You see, _Cullen_ ," the way she uttered his name made the Commander shift slightly, heat slowly seeping into his lower abdomen. "It makes ladies swoon, I hear."

"Ah," he chuckled, ogling the woman. "Does that include _you_?"

"I might be a lady but I do not _swoon_ ," she said jokingly. There must have been a reference in it he did not get. The Inquisitor leaned in just a bit closer and smiled once again. "Now then, Commander, the scar."

"Only if you will tell me the story of yours, _Gwendolynn_." he had been pleased to see a faint blush on the Inquisitor's cheeks at the mention of her name. The woman reached to her forehead and her finger brushed over a thin line that was crossing her right eyebrow and disappeared in the outer corner of the eye.

"It's a deal, then."

Not many people knew the story and, truth be told, Cullen was not particularly fond talking about _those_ days. But Gwendolynn... If nothing else, it would be liberating to tell her.

"It had happened during the Kirkwall Uprising. After the Knight - Commander Meredith... passed away we still had our orders - to round up the mages in the Gallows as soon as possible and to await further instructions," his fingers reached to his hair and Cullen started brushing it, without taking any notice. "The streets were a mess. Demons, looters... And then I heard someone screaming for help, further down the street. I could not ignore the plea and - "

Cullen stood up from his chair and started pacing nervously, untill finally leaning on the rail of the gazebo in the secluded corner of the Chantry garden. Memories of that time were still so vivid, the Commander could swear he felt the old wound pulsating dully.

"It had been one of our mages, little twig of an elf with huge green eyes and ears like a fennec," he chuckled softly at the memory. "Saria was her name. Always quiet, very studious... Not good with offensive magic at all. She was surrounded by the angry mob and she was completely helpless, so I interfered."

Calloused yet gentle fingers traced his scar and Cullen sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, before catching Gwendolynn's hand and squeezing her fingers lightly.

"People did not take kindly to that, they did not care if it was a templar and so they attacked me. Someone - it's all a blur, really - slashed at my face and, well, _this_ happened. I chased them off and I could feel nothing but pain where my face was. So I, ah, felt somewhat nauseous..."

Cullen's voice trailed off as he felt his cheeks heating up - the memory of him overreacting had been quite embarrassing. The Commander cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Saria cleaned my face, healed the wound to the best of her ability and, well, I could not bring her back with me. We were not sure how to proceed, some suggested we go forth with the Right of Annulment," Cullen's hands curled up in fists and he scowled. "Maker, as the second in command I _considered_ it... I told her to stay away. Told what might happen if others find her. She _thanked_ me and left. I never saw her again."

Cullen pinched his nose bridge and exhaled, the pictures fading, slowly retreating to the back of his mind where they belonged. He turned around and opened his eyes, meeting the Inquisitor's soft gaze. The treacherous blush crept on his cheeks once again and he grinned boyishly, his hand brushing a strand of copper hair away from her eyes.

"This had been... _nice_. To share. And now it's your turn, lovely Inquisitor."

"It is very difficult to talk about. The betrayal, it still haunts me," Gwendolynn pursed her lips together and hid her face in the comforting furs of his surcoat. Cullen wrapped his arms around her, feeling the Inquisitor tremble in his embrace. "I was eight, me and my brother Ethan were up late and father had a guest. Someone important. So we were outside his study, eavesdropping. Till - and this still haunts me - Till the door swung open and I got hit _right_ in the face by one of the pompous decorative pieces it had."

As the full extend of her story settled down in his mind, Cullen peeled the Inquisitor off his chest to see that all the trembling had been nothing more then her trying very hard not to laugh.

"And that bastard - Ethan - ran away, leaving me to deal with my father. And a healer. And, of course, my mother who said I had successfully ruined myself as a 'bride material'."

Her laughter was contagious, making Cullen snort loudly at first and then bark out a laugh, the Inquisitor was laughing so hard, tears were rolling down her cheeks. This woman was so many things - a stern leader, a skillful warrior, a gentle person... But above all she made him smile - a quality he thought he had lost a long time ago. And as he watched that weird and stunning woman - her joy so pure - he smiled and nuzzled her neck gently. She was his and he would _never_ let her go.

**Author's Note:**

> What is fluff?  
> I cannot write it, I cannot wite it,  
> Come ooon...
> 
> *hums Haddaway's 'What Is Love' tune*


End file.
